The Parenting Education Program (PEP) is a parenting skills course for high-risk families. PEP is funded by the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida. The families that participate in PEP are under the supervision of Family Preservation Services and have been referred through the dependency court system to PEP. The typical parent that works with PEP has either had their child removed from their home or is under the strict supervision of Family Preservation Services. If referred, the parent must complete the parenting course in order to regain custody of their child and/or to complete their case plan tasks as assigned by the court.

The course curriculum that PEP follows is the Nurturing Parenting Program, authored by Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek, Ph.D. The parenting classes are conducted one-on-one, once a week for 9 weeks and each session is an hour and a half. The classes can be held in the client’s home or in the CAC offices, at the convenience of the client. The sessions include readings from the Nurturing Parenting Program book, educational video clips, discussions, role-plays, and homework assignments. The key concepts of the program include empathy, child development, family roles, alternatives to corporal punishment, and encouraging independence. The parents are expected to complete all assignments and to be active participants in the program.

Throughout the course, PEP staff works collaboratively with Family Preservation Services, providing progress reports, to ensure that the parents are participating properly and following all rules and regulations. At the conclusion of the 9 weeks, PEP staff completes a final report that summarizes the parent’s progress and provides recommendations as a result of the observations during the meetings. Recommendations can include mental health counseling, obtaining employment, obtaining daycare for their children, etc.